Listen To Your Heart
by grensgeval
Summary: What happens when Will leaves JJ, and Emily is there to help her? Eventual JJ/Emily
1. Chapter 1

**Just something I've been working on to pass the time. Just so you know: English is not my first language (not even my second) so there probably will be some mistakes, for which I'm sorry.**

**Also, I do not own Criminal Minds**

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><p>"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Jennifer Jareau all but yelled when she saw the hotel they were supposed to sleep in.<p>

"Hotch, you can't be serious. Please tell me this is a joke."

She looked at Aaron Hotchner, their boss, with pleading eyes. It was in vein, though; Hotch never joked. He looked at her, and she could tell that he wasn't very happy about the rather dirty looking hotel either.

"I'm sorry, JJ, but apparently there is some kind of convention in town, and pretty much all hotels are full. According to Garcia, this was the only place that had rooms available."

"I can see why," Emily Prentiss stated matter-of-factly. Derek Morgan chuckled at this statement, but he stopped quickly when he saw the look JJ was giving him.

"Why couldn't we just stay at the hotel we've stayed in for the last couple of days?" the blonde inquired.

"We already checked out, and with the convention, everything was already booked. We didn't know we had to stay here for another day, so -" but he couldn't finish his sentence as JJ interrupted him.

"Argh, of all those times the jet can be broken, it chooses the one time there is some stupid convention in town."

"Erm, JJ, I don't think the jet actually chose to –" Spencer Reid tried to point out to her, but he didn't dare continue his sentence, seeing the death glare JJ was giving him.

Eventually it was David Rossi who came up with the idea of actually going inside. The desk clerk told them that there only were two single and two double rooms available because of the convention, meaning that some of them would have to share. Rossi spoke up before anyone else had the chance to.

"Well, I think superiority and age should count for something, so Hotch and I are getting the singles."

He had a faint smile on his lips as he said it, but he was wise enough not to look at JJ, who seemed to become angrier by the minute. Morgan shot a hopeful look at Emily and JJ before turning to Hotch.

"I don't suppose bureau policy allows men and women to share a room?" he asked hopefully.

Hotch shook his head.

"Well, looks like it's gonna be you and me then, kid", he said to Reid. _I wouldn't like to share with JJ now anyway_, he thought.

"Good luck", he whispered to Emily as he passed her, looking at a very angry JJ.

"Okay, how about we go get settled first, and then we get together for some dinner in the restaurant?" Hotch asked.

Emily looked at JJ, a bit scared for another snappy comment, but the blonde just nodded and went to get their key.

When they finally had their keys and entered their rooms, Emily noticed that the room wasn't that bad actually. It was a bit small, yes, but it wasn't dirty or anything, she would even call it cozy. But as she sat on the bed, she could hear JJ muttering, and although she couldn't understand everything she was saying, she could clearly make out the words 'freaking hotel' and 'stupid town'.

"JJ, are you okay?" Emily asked cautiously.

"Oh, I'm just peachy," she snapped back, but as soon as the words left her mound, she regretted them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, it's just…" She didn't finish her sentence, since she didn't really know what to say.

"That's okay", Emily answered, "it's just… it's not like you to react like this. I mean, we have slept in worse hotels than this, and the room is actually quite nice." She hesitated for a moment. "You know I'm here for you, right? If there's something you want to talk about?" _You have no idea_, JJ thought.

"I know, and I really appreciate it, but not now, please. I'm not ready to talk about this just yet. Can we just go downstairs and eat with the guys?" she pleaded.

Emily could see JJ was getting upset, so she agreed, knowing that JJ would talk to her when she was ready.

"Okay, sure. Let's go."

The team had dinner together, and after that they started playing games. Emily and Reid were playing chess, while the others were playing cards.

"Oh my God, I won!" Emily shouted out. "I beat the genius!"

"No, you cheated. You can't have won, that's not possible," Reid said, while going over the game again.

"And why is that? You think I can't beat you at something without cheating? That's some ego you got there," she added with a smile.

"But… but I always win," Reid answered, almost pouting as he said it.

"Okay wonder boy, while you replay the match to confirm I really won, I'll go and see if Morgan here isn't cheating."

"Hey, I don't cheat!" Morgan retorted. "I can win on my own, thank you very much."

"Oh yeah? Then how come I see cards disappearing under the table while the others aren't looking?" Emily said with a grin.

Their friendly banter continued for another couple of hours, until they were starting to get ready to leave. They were pretty tired; after all, they did just have a pretty rough case.

"Feel free to sleep in guys. I talked with the pilot, and the jet won't be ready until tomorrow afternoon," Hotch said. Everyone on the team gave him a grateful look, glad they wouldn't have to get up at the crack of dawn the next morning.

When they got back to their room, JJ entered the bathroom to take a shower, while Emily sat on the bed, wondering what could be wrong with JJ. She didn't hear about any problems with Will, and she wasn't due for a meeting with Strauss for another month or so. As far as she knew, everything was all right. When JJ was ready, she got in her bed while Emily took a shower.

JJ lay in bed, thinking about what she should do. _I have to tell her. She'll find out sooner or later, and it's best if she hears it from me. But she'll probably find out tomorrow anyway, if my stomach keeps rejecting food. God, why does this have to be so difficult!_ When she heard the water stop running, she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She couldn't face Emily, not now. She would tell her tomorrow.

When Emily got back in the room, she found the blonde sound asleep.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2. Chapters 1 and 2 take place somewhere between episode 18 and 20 from the third season. There will probably be spoilers for seasons 3 and 4 during the story. **

**Still don't own anything.**

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><p>The next day, Emily woke up to the sound of someone throwing up. She entered the bathroom and found JJ sitting on her knees, practically hugging the toilet. She immediately squatted down next to her, held up her hair and rubbed soothing circles on her back.<p>

"JJ, are you all right?" When JJ didn't answer, she asked further, "Can I get you anything? Something for the nausea maybe?

When JJ felt like she could sit up without her dinner coming back out, she let the toilet go and sat against the bathroom wall. Emily handed her a glass of water to get rid of the taste of vomit.

"Well, can I get you anything?" she tried again.

"No, that's okay. It won't help for this kind of nausea anyway," JJ answered with a half-hearted smile.

"What do you mean 'this kind of nausea'? I don't understand. Unless… JJ, are you pregnant?"

When JJ nodded, Emily's face became one big smile. "Really? Oh my God, JJ, that's fantastic. Come here."

With that she pulled JJ in for a hug. When she didn't feel her respond, she stepped back and asked, "You are happy about it, right?"

"Yeah, I am. It's just…" She trailed off, and instead of finishing the sentence, she got up and left the bathroom.

When Emily got back in the room seconds later, she found JJ crying on the bed. She knew better than continue asking further questions, so she sat down next to JJ, and pulled her close. JJ snuggled in the crook of Emily's neck, while she let all of her emotions out. When the sobs began to stop, Emily looked at her intently, trying to find some answers in her clear blue eyes.

"Does Will know, JJ?" she finally asked after five minutes of silence.

"Oh, he knows," JJ answered, her voice thick with anger. She remained silent after that, but Emily didn't ask further. She knew the blonde needed this silence, to clear her head a bit. JJ thought back to the day she told Will.

_JJ sat at her desk, absent-mindedly. She didn't even see Emily approaching her office, so she was a bit startled when Emily started speaking. _

"_Hey, everyone is waiting." _

"_You should go," JJ answered, not really wanting to spend more time with her team right now._

"_Kerie's gonna be okay," Emily said, thinking JJ was still worried about the woman they just saved._

"_I know._

"_Okay, then what is it? 'Cause you've been a little… off."_

"_Really, I'm just, I'm tired."_

"_Okay, well, go home. Get some sleep." And with that Emily left. JJ looked around to see if anyone else was going to come into her office before taking out a piece of paper out of her desk drawer. She looked at the paper that was going to change her life drastically for a moment, before picking up her cell phone and calling Will._

"_Hey, it's me. You got a minute?... Yeah I'm fine, I'm fine. We just really need to talk. … I'm pregnant."_

_She could hear him catch his breath when she said that, and then he told her he was really happy about it. And she believed him. Why wouldn't she?_

"When I told him about it, he seemed happy. But I told him over the phone, so I couldn't see his reaction. Apparently, he wasn't so happy about it as I thought, because a week later I received a 'special delivery'. He had sent all of my stuff that was at his place back with a letter. He wrote that he never had planned for us to become so serious, and that he wasn't ready to be a dad. He even included a form to decline his parental rights."

"That son of a bitch! I'm gonna kill him!"

"No, you're not." JJ answered calmly. Emily looked at her, puzzled. "I'm going to beat you to it," JJ added with a smile.

"Well, it's good to see you smile again, but seriously, how could he do that to you? You were such a good couple."

"Actually, we weren't. I liked him, I really did, but I wasn't as in love with him as I thought I was, as I should be."

"So how come you're so devastated he left you? If you weren't really in love with him-" she stopped talking when she saw JJ's face darken again. _Way to go, Prentiss. Of course she's upset about the father of her child leaving her. _

"It's not him I'm upset about, but…" she didn't continue, as she couldn't find the right words. Then she just blurted out, "I'm gonna be a single mom, Emily. I can't be a single mom, I can't go through all that alone. Finding baby stuff, giving birth, raising him. What about work, we're away most of the time, what will I do then?" JJ started to ramble.

"JJ, listen to me. JJ!" Emily tried to calm her, but JJ wouldn't listen, she just kept on rambling.

"My parents live so far away, they can't help me. And my neighbors, they would sure love to help the weird single mom lady that scared her boyfriend away. I'm gonna be all alone in this, and-"

"Jennifer!"

At the sound of her full name, JJ finally stopped her ramble.

"You won't be alone in this. I'm going to help you, and so is the rest of the team when you tell them. Okay?" She waited until she saw JJ nod. "Good. Now you're a smart, strong, independent woman, and you can do this. And I'm gonna be there every step of the way with you, so you're not alone."

"Thank you," JJ answered when the lump in her throat started to disappear. "I think I needed to hear that."

"Are you feeling better now? How's the nausea?" Emily asked.

"Better. It always passes fairly quickly."

"Good. Are you up for some breakfast? I think the guys are already downstairs, and they'll probably start wondering where we are."

JJ glanced at her watch, and saw that it was already past 10 p.m. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed the time flying by, but then again, her mind was pretty pre-occupied.

"Sounds good to me. But let me get decent first, I'm sure the guys would love to see me like this," she said as she realized she was still in her sleeping clothes. "And you're looking completely breakfast-proof as well, in those sexy shorts," she added teasingly. Emily looked down at her clothes, and realized that she was also still in her sleeping clothes. She looked at JJ, who was standing in an old, faded college shirt and ridiculously short shorts, and her thoughts went to all kinds of inappropriate places before she could shake them off. Then she looked at herself, in her old Yale shirt and slightly longer sleeping shorts, and started laughing.

"Well, I can think of someone who wouldn't mind seeing us like this, but maybe it's not a very good idea to stimulate his already one-track mind," she said, thinking about the reaction Morgan would give if he saw them like that. But it was mostly a way to keep her own mind from wandering, although it didn't really work. _She thinks I look sexy?_ She shook off her thoughts, and stepped into the bathroom.

They both got ready, and headed downstairs for breakfast. Before they entered the restaurant, Emily stopped JJ and looked at her.

"Are you going to tell them?" she asked.

"Not yet. It's not that I don't want them to know, I just don't think I could handle telling them if something went wrong. A lot can happen during the first couple of months, and with all that has happened with Will and everything…"

"Okay, I understand, but you'll have to tell them at some point. They probably already know something is going on, so I'm guessing they'll be worried about you."

"I know. I have an appointment with my doctor in three weeks. If everything looks good, I'll tell them."

"Fair enough. Now, let's go feed you and this peanut."

JJ laughed at the name Emily gave her child. She could feel the burden that was sitting on her shoulder slowly falling off, knowing Emily would be there to help her.

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3. You'll have to wait a bit longer for the next update, because I don't have much time the next couple of days...**

**And thank you all for the lovely reviews!**

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><p><em>Two weeks later<em>

"Hey, Emily, you got a minute?"

Emily looked up from her file and saw JJ standing in front of her desk.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Could you follow me to my office? I need your help on a report."

Emily didn't hesitate. She knew JJ didn't need her help with a report, but with more personal matters, so she quickly got up and followed JJ into her office. They both sat down, and Emily looked at JJ expectantly, but JJ suddenly seemed at a loss for words.

"I uhm… I was wondering if you… Would you maybe…" She couldn't get her question out.

"JJ, hey, it's me. You can talk to me," Emily tried to reassure her.

"Okay then." She took a deep breath before she continued. "I have an appointment with my doctor this afternoon, and I was wondering if you would go with me."

"Oh," was all Emily said. That was not exactly what she was expecting.

"It's fine if you don't want to, I can go alone. But it's just that I've been to my previous appointments alone, and I really hated sitting in that waiting room all by myself, looking at all those happy couples," JJ tried to explain.

Emily smiled at her reassuringly, "Of course I'll go with you. You just caught me off guard a bit, but I'd be happy to sit with you in that waiting room, facing all the happy couples." She saw a small smile appear on JJ's face, and continued, "I'll even go with you when you're giving birth if you want me to. I told you I'd be there for you, and I meant every word of it." JJ looked into Emily's brown eyes for a sign that she didn't really mean it, but only saw honesty.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me," she said with a grateful smile. "And you don't have to worry about work, Hotch said we could leave early today if nothing urgent came up, so…"

"Even if we couldn't, I still would have found a way to come with you," Emily said while she got up to leave the office.

"Hey Emily," JJ called her back, "I wasn't lying before, you know."

"Huh?"

"I really do need your help on a report," JJ smiled, rummaging through the stacks of files on her desk, trying to find the right one.

A couple of hours later, the team was ready to go home. JJ and Emily walked together to their cars. They agreed that Emily would follow JJ in her own car. Traffic was hell, as always, and it was a small miracle that they managed to get to the appointment on time. Sitting down in the waiting room between the happy couples, she immediately knew she had been right – having Emily with her really did help.

"Jennifer Jareau?" a nurse called her name. When JJ stood up, Emily looked at her.

"Are you sure you want me to go with you. 'Cause I can also wait here, I don't mind." She wanted to make sure that JJ was really comfortable with her being there.

"Yes, I'm sure. Unless you want to stay here?"

JJ suddenly felt a bit worried. _Was it really a good idea to ask her to come? Wasn't it a bit selfish? Maybe she doesn't even want to be here._

"No, no, I want to come with you. As long as you're sure about it," Emily said reassuringly.

"I am", JJ smiled.

"Good, so now everyone is sure, will you please follow me?" The nurse was starting to get a bit impatient.

JJ and Emily followed the nurse in the room with big grins on their faces. JJ sat down in the examining chair, while Emily stood by her side. She could see JJ was starting to get nervous, so she took JJ's hand to give comfort.

After a few moments the doctor came in, and when JJ saw her, she looked confused. The young woman was not who she expected to come in.

"Hi Jennifer, my name is Kathryn Holden, but you can call me Kate. I'm afraid your regular doctor has been transferred to another hospital, and I will be taking over some of her patients. Is that okay with you?"

"Oh, okay, that's fine. And please, call me JJ," JJ said, but Emily wasn't convinced.

"Could I see some sort of document that proves that?" she asked. "No offense, but you can't be too careful nowadays."

Kate was a bit taken aback by this, but she recovered quickly. She went over to the desk, to search the document in question.

"Here it is. Take your time to read it."

Emily started reading the document, while JJ could only stare at her in disbelief. _Wow, she really takes this seriously_, she thought, and couldn't help but chuckle as the thought crossed her mind.

Emily finished reading and gave the piece of paper back to Kate. She looked a bit embarrassed.

"I'm sorry about that, and it really isn't personal, but you learn to be careful in the line of work that we do." She really felt like she should explain her actions. She looked a bit guilty at JJ, and was relieved to see her smiling at her.

"That's okay, I understand, though you are the first one that has asked for prove. It's actually nice to see a partner care so much, most of the husbands that come in here don't even pay attention to what I'm saying."

At first, JJ and Emily didn't really realize the meaning of those words, and then they were a bit shocked about it. They hadn't thought about how it would look if they went to the doctor together. Emily was the first to recover.

"Oh, we're not together. We're just good friends," she explained, feeling a bit sad that that was all they were – just friends.

"Oh, I'm really sorry. I saw you two together, and I just assumed… Sorry," Kate hurried to apologize. _You could've fooled me though_, she thought as she looked at Emily's hand, still on top of JJ's.

"Don't worry about it, I could have been worse of," JJ joked, smiling at Emily. The other two women smiled as well at this comment, and Emily couldn't help but feeling a bit hopeful.

"Okay, so JJ, you're about 12 weeks pregnant, right?" Kate asked, looking in her file.

"Yes."

"And since you're here with her," she said, looking at Emily, "I'm guessing the father isn't in the picture?"

"That's right," JJ said. "As soon as he heard, he went running for the hills", she added bitterly.

"I see. And how do you feel about that? Has it been giving you any additional stress?"

"It has, until I spoke to Emily about it. She really helped me through all the scary thoughts", JJ answered, looking gratefully at Emily.

"Okay, that's good. I'm sorry to hear about the father, but it's good that you have someone who can help you. Now would you like to see your baby?" Upon seeing the big smile form on JJ's lips, she took the ultrasound machine, and prepared everything to take a look at the baby.

"Everything looks normal. The fetus is growing the way it's supposed to. You're having a healthy baby growing inside you."

JJ let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She felt so relieved that everything was all right, and seeing her baby really made her day. She felt Emily squeezing her hand, and when she looked up, she actually saw tears in Emily's brown eyes.

Emily thought that seeing JJ's baby, and hearing the heartbeat were some of the most beautiful things she had ever seen or heard.

"Would you like to know whether you're having a boy or a girl?" Kate asked.

"Yes, please," JJ answered.

She had thought about it before, and although she liked the idea of it being a surprise, she came to the conclusion that it would be a lot easier if she knew the gender. She figured it was going to be tough enough as it was.

"Well then, congratulations mom, you're having a baby boy."

Now both women had tears in their eyes as they were looking at the ultrasound, with big smiles on their faces.

After they finished everything up, JJ and Emily left the room. At their cars, they said their goodbyes, and Emily left for her apartment, while JJ just sat in her car, staring at the pictures of her baby boy. After a minute or ten, she went home as well, happier than ever.

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><p><strong>Please review.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4, in which the team finds out. Sorry about the delay, I'll try to update sooner next time.**

The team walked into the lobby of the New York hotel they were staying in. The case they were working was difficult, and they were all tired. Emily was worried about JJ. She looked more pale, and more tired than the rest of the team, so she took her aside.

"JJ, please be careful on this case. I'm worried about you, with everything that's going on."

"Is there a problem?" Hotch asked suddenly.

_Shit_, both of them thought. They hadn't heard him coming closer. JJ let out a sigh and turned around to face the team. It was time to tell them.

"I'm pregnant."

"WHAT?" was the collective answer.

And since she was already at it, she figured she should just tell them about Will too.

"And ehm… Will left."

"WHAT?" was again the response of the rest of the team.

"Come on guys, you're supposed to be the greatest minds in the country, and that's all you can say?" JJ tried to joke. The team didn't find it very funny though, they all just kept staring at her.

"What-? Why-? How-?" Reid tried to form a question, but he got lost in his words.

"What happened? I got pregnant. Why did he leave? Because he's a coward and couldn't deal with it. And how? I thought you were a genius, you should know how babies are made."

This time her joke did receive some laughter from the team, except for Reid, who was blushing.

"Well, I'm sorry Will left, but at least he did something good before that, right?" Morgan said with his characteristic grin.

Before JJ could answer, a wave of colors came toward her, and suddenly she was caught in a hug from Garcia – a very tight hug.

"Garcia, you do realize JJ has to breathe for two now, right?" Emily laughed. She could see JJ was starting to struggle to breathe, but Garcia didn't seem to notice.

"What? Oh God, I am so sorry!" she said, and immediately she let JJ go. "I'm just so happy. I'm gonna be an aunt. Oh, this child is going to be spoiled!"

The rest of the team just watched and laughed at Garcia practically bouncing up and down, then Hotch walked away. JJ went after him, she figured she owed him some kind of explanation.

"Hotch," she said to stop him.

"JJ, you could have told me," he said, turning around.

"I know."

"I understand if you need to take some time."

"No I… I wanna be here."

"Okay. 7 a.m." Hotch gave her a nod and walked away. When JJ walked back to the rest of the team, she received a round of hugs from them, after which they all went to their rooms.

Emily felt bad about forcing JJ to tell the team. If she had just waited until she could talk to JJ alone, it never would have come to that. So as soon as she had dropped her ready bag in her room, she quickly went over to JJ's room to apologize. She knocked on her door, and waited for JJ to answer.

"JJ, I am so sorry. I had no idea Hotch could hear us, otherwise I never would have said anything," she said as soon as the door opened.

"I know, Emily. And don't worry about it, I was planning on telling them anyway. Maybe not quite like this, but still…"

Suddenly Garcia stood next to them, clearly not in her usual bubbly mood.

"You knew? You told Emily, but you didn't tell me? Why didn't you tell me, JJ?"

"Oh God, I just keep screwing up, don't I", Emily sighed.

"No, you don't, Em. But why don't you come in, so we can talk properly," JJ suggested. Emily realized she was still standing in the hallway, so she quickly stepped inside JJ's room.

"You haven't answered my question. Why did you tell Emily and not me?" Garcia insisted.

"Well, Emily kind of found out on her own. We had to share a room a while back, and it was pretty obvious when she found me hugging the toilet."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain the fact that you didn't tell me. I'm supposed to be your best friend." It was clear Garcia was really upset about it, and she wasn't about to let it go.

"I didn't tell you because I was scared something would happen. If I told you, and something went wrong, I just didn't think I could handle it, so I didn't say anything. I'm sorry."

When she heard that, Garcia fully understood why JJ didn't tell her. She was probably having a hard enough time as it was, and her attitude didn't really help.

"Oh God no, I'm sorry. I completely understand, I shouldn't have acted all jealous like that. I guess I'm still adjusting to the idea," Garcia tried to apologize.

"Well, you and me both," JJ replied with a smile. "But, ladies, I think I'm going to kick you out now. We do still have a case, and I have to sleep for two now, so…"

Emily and Garcia didn't need more encouragement than that. They left JJ's room, and in the hallway they both said goodnight before going to their own rooms to catch some sleep.

**Reviews please.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5. Sorry for the long wait, again. **

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><p><em>One week later<em>

Emily woke up with a shock, shaking and sweating heavily. She was having a nightmare, again. That wasn't really new to her, the nightmares came with the job. But this time, it was different. She had been having the same nightmare for the past few days, ever since they had come back from New York. She couldn't get the bombings out of her head. In the end, everything had worked out well, but in her dreams, they didn't. It wouldn't be Hotch, walking towards the car, it would be JJ, already sitting in it. Almost every night since New York, she dreamt JJ died in the explosion, and tonight was no different. Her first reflex was grabbing her phone to call JJ, to make sure she was all right, but she knew she couldn't do that. It was the middle of the night, and JJ needed her rest. So, instead of calling JJ, she just lay in her bed, looking at the ceiling.

She knew why she was having those dreams, and she knew what they meant. She had known from the first time she saw JJ, when she was standing in Hotch's office, and JJ came in to get him for a briefing. That was the moment she decided she wanted to get to know the gorgeous blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman. And for that to happen, she needed to word at the BAU, so she was going to make that happen. Transfer mix-up be damned.

After she got her spot on the team, she started to hang out with the other BAU women. Garcia had instantly become a friend, because, well, she was Garcia, and she befriended pretty much everyone. It had taken a little more time to get to know JJ, since she was a guarded woman, and didn't let people in easily. But gradually, she found her way in, and every day she worked with JJ, she came to like her more and more. She was falling for her, and she was falling hard. Harder than she had ever fallen for someone, man or woman.

Hours later, when Emily walked into the BAU bullpen, she didn't walk over to her desk like she normally did, but went to JJ's office. She got worried when she didn't find her there. JJ was always in her office, unless she was getting some coffee, which she couldn't have right now. So where the hell was she?

"Emily, hey, do you need anything?" she suddenly heard. She jumped up and turned around so quickly she'd probably still feel her neck hours later.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," JJ quickly apologized.

"That's okay. I just wanted to check up on you, see if you're okay, and – What is that?" she suddenly yelled out as she saw the cup JJ held in her hands. "You're not supposed to drink coffee, you know that," she said admonishingly.

"Don't worry Emily, it's just hot chocolate. I just pretend it's coffee, and hope it's enough to get me through my caffeine withdrawel," she said with a smile. She liked this caring side of Emily.

"And besides, I can have coffee, you know, just not too much. I brought you some, by the way. It's on your desk."

"Oh, ehm, thank you," Emily responded, not really knowing what to say. Without another word, she quickly left the office, leaving JJ there all by herself, confused.

JJ was getting a bit worried about Emily. She had caught her looking weirdly at her for the past week, and she was worried she was having second thoughts. JJ was scared Emily was searching for a way out, and she didn't think she could deal with all of this alone. She needed Emily, she was the only one who could keep her calm, who was able to keep her grounded.

Emily was the only one who could get through to JJ after the Hankel case, and the only one who could provide comfort when Garcia was shot. She was also the first one she thought about after she heard about the explosion in New York, and the first one she called out to when she had found the rest of her team safe and soundly. She had come to rely on Emily, more than she cared to admit.

She knew she should talk to Emily about it, let her know she could get out if she wanted to. But she couldn't, not yet. She wasn't ready to lose Emily just yet. So instead of going to Emily, she sat at her desk, looking at a file, but not really seeing anything.

_One month later_

JJ was working in the conference room with the TV playing in the background. While she was going through some files, a news report caught her attention. When she saw what it was about, she ran to the bullpen, picking up the remote control next to the door on her way in.

"Morgan," she caught his attention while turning on the TV. The reporter was still talking.

"… what is reportedly being called a routine questions and answers by Colorado child services has turned into a violent and deadly standoff between Colorado authorities and a French religious group known as the seperatarian sect. The raid… "

It didn't take Morgan long to realize what was going on.

"JJ, that's not the ranch where Prentiss and Reid are?" he asked, needing to be sure.

"They're still inside," JJ answered, barely audible. She felt as if her throat was held tight from fear. _Emily is still there,_ was all she could think about.

"HOTCH!" Morgan yelled.

_Hours later_

The team had set up outside the compound of the religious sect, trying to get a clear idea about what was happening inside. They had managed to bring microphones into the building, and now they were waiting for something to happen. They didn't have to wait long, though. JJ had found a news feed about the standoff, and she showed it to the team. Some news reporter revealed that an FBI agent was inside the compound, effectively ruining Emily and Reid's cover. Not long after that, they heard Cyrus, the leader of the sect, speaking to Emily and Reid.

"Which one of you is it?"

Taking out his gun, he continued, "Which one of you is the FBI agent?"

JJ was beyond scared after hearing that. Two of her best friends were there, and one of them had just got into serious trouble. When she heard Emily saying it was her, she lost it. She felt like her whole world just had come crumbling down. She hated herself for thinking it, but as much as she loved Reid, she felt like it was that much worse when Emily took the hits. And Emily took hits, and it killed JJ inside having to listen to every single one of. The woman who had practically become a second mother to her unborn child, was inside a building not that far from her, being badly beaten, and there was nothing she could do about it.

JJ had never been more relieved than in the moment she saw Emily leave the compound. She was wounded and obviously in pain, but she would be all right in the end. She watched Emily and Reid hug each other, and felt a slight wave of jealousy. It was over as quickly as it came, but it left her pretty confused.

On the plane ride home, she watched Emily put her hand on top of Reid's, and again she felt a pang of jealousy. _Why does it bother me so much? Why do I feel like I want to be the one who's hugging her, and holding her hand? And why do I keep thinking of her as a second mother to my child?_ All of this was racing through her mind, while she was trying to come up with a good explanation for her feelings. And the more she thought about it, the clearer it became. She was in love with Emily.

She didn't know why this surprised her so much, though. When she thought about it, she realized her feelings toward the brunette had been changing from friendship to something deeper along the way, she just hadn't noticed the change.

She had never fallen in love with a woman before, and she would never have believed she could. But, with Emily, it just seemed natural. She was probably the most beautiful, caring, compassionate woman JJ had ever met, and she was absolutely adorable with her geeky humor. She was really easy to love. And that was why it hurt so much. Because she knew it would never happen. She wouldn't and couldn't risk her friendship with the older woman, and besides, Emily was clearly straight. And then there still was the small fact of her pregnancy. She just couldn't force a baby onto Emily, that wouldn't be fair to her. Emily had promised to help with her child, of course, but as a friend. As an aunt for her son, but not as a second mother.

So she decided to keep her feelings to herself, while trying to spend as much time with Emily as she could.


	6. Chapter 6

**To make up for the long waits on the previous chapters: here's chapter 6. I'll try to get chapter 7 up as soon as possible.**

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><p>JJ decided to go and see Emily that night. She was still worried about the profiler, even though the doctor in Colorado had cleared her. But, stubborn as she was, she would only be reassured when she saw Emily for herself, knowing that people don't recover that quickly from a beating like that.<p>

JJ parked her car in front of Emily's building and got out. She walked over to the entrance, and for a moment she thought she had the wrong address when she looked inside. If it weren't for the fact that she had copied it from Emily's file, she would have just turned around, sure that it was the wrong place. She knew Emily's family had money, of course, but it wasn't until now that she realized just how much, and how much of that was in Emily's possession.

When she tried to get in, she had to flash her badge at the doorman, and even then he was reluctant to let her in. JJ knew she probably shouldn't show up at Emily's apartment without notice, but on the other side, she knew Emily too well. She knew Emily would probably just decline every offer for help, saying that she was just fine. So knowing that showing up unexpected was most likely the best way of not being shot down, she didn't feel too bad about it. When she got to Emily's floor, she walked over to her door, but she stopped when she saw that door opening. A tall, good-looking woman stepped outside, turning around to say something to the person inside.

"Look, I like you, Emily, but you and I both know this isn't going to work. You seem to have a talent for getting injured, and I'm not that happy about playing nurse. And besides, it creeps me out knowing that I have to share you with all the serial killers out there. So, goodbye, Emily."

After this, she closed the door and walked down the hallway, passing JJ on her way to the elevator.

JJ still stood in the hallway, baffled._ Emily is gay? How did I not see that? _was all she could think. After a few moments she had worked up the nerve to knock on the door. She only had to wait a few seconds before the door was opened by a clearly irritated Emily.

"You're too late, so just turn around and take your – Oh. You're not the pizza boy." _Busted_, she thought. Her long kept secret was not so secret anymore.

"So you've noticed, huh?" JJ tried to joke. It worked, a small smile formed on Emily's lips. No matter how bad Emily felt, JJ always managed to put a smile on her face.

"Erm, can I come in, or is this a bad time?" JJ asked.

"Oh, no, come in. For you, it's always a good time," Emily smiled. She stepped aside so JJ could come in.

"Have a seat. Do you want anything to drink?" Emily offered JJ, hoping she wouldn't try to talk about what had just happened. It didn't work though.

"No thanks, I'm good. Who was that woman?" JJ asked as she sat down on the couch. She knew that it was none of her business, but she had to know.

"That was Lisa," Emily said dryly, not giving any more information. She decided she'd tell JJ everything she wanted to know, but she wasn't going to give it up easily.

"And Lisa is your girlfriend?" JJ tried.

"No, she's not my girlfriend. And even if she was, she wouldn't be anymore," Emily replied a bit sadly. "We've gone on a couple of dates, but as you heard, she dumped me five minutes ago."

"I'm sorry. Were you two serious?"

"Not exactly, no. Between work and well, work, we hardly ever spent time together. And I guess it wasn't enough for her. Plus, she didn't want to play nurse, and with my ability to get injured…" she said, pointing at the bruises on her face.

Again, JJ felt a wave of jealousy, of a woman she didn't even know. That woman, Lisa, had been able to be with Emily in a way JJ could only dream of. Because, even if Emily was gay, that didn't change the fact that JJ was still pregnant. It only hurt more, because now she knew that there might have been a chance for them, if it weren't for her pregnancy.

Then she suddenly remembered why she had come to Emily in the first place, and she felt bad she had forgotten about Emily's injuries while she was feeling bad for herself.

"That's actually why I'm here. How are you feeling?" she asked worriedly.

"Like I've been run over by a bus," Emily answered truthfully. "My head hurts like hell, and I can barely move because of my ribs."

"Well, I don't mind playing nurse, so why don't you sit down and relax, and I'll make you something to eat."

She wanted to get up when there was a knock on the door. That was when she remembered Emily greeting her as the pizza boy, and she figured he must have finally arrived.

Emily, who still hadn't sat down, turned around to get the door, but JJ stopped her.

"No. You sit down, I'll get the door." Emily didn't even bother to argue, the determined look JJ was giving her told her there was no use for trying. So she sat down and waited for JJ to come back with the pizzas. She realized she would rather eat with JJ than with Lisa anyway.

They sat next to each other on the couch, eating their pizza in a comfortable silence, both lost in thoughts. JJ was the first to break the silence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. Now that the first feelings of surprise had passed, she felt a bit hurt that Emily had never confided in her.

"I never told anyone," Emily said.

"Why not?"

"I'm a Prentiss."

It wasn't much of an answer, but at the same time, it was the best answer she could give. JJ knew where Emily came from, how she was raised, so the reason made perfect sense to her. She understood why Emily had felt the need to hide that part of herself, but that didn't stop her from feeling sorry for her. She knew that Emily, although she never showed it, sought the approval of her parents, especially her mother's, just like every normal person. It made her sad that Emily needed to hide who she was, trying to please her parents. She placed her hand on top of Emily's knees.

"You don't have to hide, Emily. Not from me."

Emily smiled at JJ gratefully.

"Thank you. That really means a lot to me."

"So, what was all that about with Lisa?" JJ asked, trying to change the subject to something lighter. "She didn't like playing doctor with you?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. There has been no playing doctor of any kind between us," Emily replied with a sad smile.

"Really?" This surprised JJ. Apparently Emily wasn't the womanizer JJ thought her to be.

"Why does that surprise you so much? I'm not a player like Morgan, I like to take my time, build up to something."

_Wow, who would have thought Emily Prentiss was such a romantic_, JJ thought.

"And besides that, well… I've been away on cases pretty much non-stop. The few times we got to see each other, I was so tired I kind of fell asleep," Emily admitted.

"Aw, and here I thought you were being romantic for wanting to wait," JJ teased.

"Just so you know, I can be quite romantic when I want to be. I guess Lisa just wasn't the one I really wanted to try for."

"And is there someone you do want to try for?"

"Erm, how about we watched some TV?" Emily quickly avoided the question.

JJ decided not to push the subject, so they settled for watching a movie that was on. After about half an hour, JJ fell asleep, her head resting on Emily's shoulder. Emily sat really still, as to not wake JJ, but she wasn't in a very comfortable position, and her bruised ribs were killing her. She tried to change her position as smoothly as possible, but she still woke JJ up.

"I'm sorry JJ, I didn't mean to wake you," she apologized.

"No, I'm sorry, for falling asleep on you. I should probably go home."

"No, you don't. JJ, it's late, and you're clearly exhausted. I can't let you go home like that," Emily explained when JJ looked confused.

"You can sleep here. I have a spare room, so it won't be any trouble."

JJ didn't argue. For one, Emily was right, she really was tired, and it wouldn't be smart to drive now. But, more importantly, she didn't want to go. She wanted to stay with Emily as long as she could, so she easily agreed. There was one small problem though.

"I don't have my go-bag with me. I don't have anything to wear."

"Just borrow some of my clothes, I don't mind."

"Emily, I'm six months pregnant. Let's face it, we don't really have the same size anymore," JJ pointed out, looking at her grown stomach.

"Just give me a minute, I'm sure I've got something that'll fit."

Emily went upstairs to her bedroom, and came back minutes later with some baggy sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt.

"Here, try these. The spare bedroom is upstairs, second door on your right, bathroom's the second on your left. I'm just gonna put these away, and then I'll be up too," she said, pointing at the empty glasses on the coffee table.

Once upstairs, Emily went over to her spare bedroom, and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Emily walked inside, and looked at JJ. Seven months pregnant and wearing sweats, and she still looked gorgeous to Emily. She took the moment to take in JJ's body appreciatively. JJ, doing exactly the same, didn't notice.

"Good, I see that the clothes fit. Okay, well, goodnight, and I'll see you tomorrow," Emily said.

She suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable looking at JJ like that, like she was somehow perving on her or something, so she wanted to get out of the room quickly.

"Goodnight," JJ replied, and after one more look Emily turned around to go to her own bedroom.

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><p><strong>Please review. Lots of reviews make me update faster :p<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7. Thanks for all the wonderful review!**

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><p>Emily was exhausted, as last day's events were finally catching up with her. She quickly changed into her sleeping clothes, and she was asleep before her head properly touched her pillow.<p>

Three hours later, she woke up to a blood-curdling scream. It took her a moment to realize where the scream could come from, but when she heard it again, she didn't hesitate and hurried over to the spare bedroom. She found JJ tossing and turning in her bed, mumbling so quietly Emily couldn't understand.

Emily quickly walked over to JJ, and sat down next to her on the bed. She started to gently stroke JJ's hair, while whispering calming words to her. From the moment she started talking and touching her hair, JJ immediately seemed to relax. When JJ's breathing had returned to normal, Emily stayed with her for a couple more minutes before returning to her own room. She had barely reached it when she heard another scream. She ran over to the other room again, where she saw JJ obviously back in her nightmares. Wanting nothing more than to help her friend, Emily did the only thing she could think of. She pulled back the covers, and slipped into the bed, her front against JJ's back. She gently placed her arm around JJ, her hand resting protectively on the baby bump, and was pleased to find that it seemed to calm her. She managed to stay awake until she was certain JJ was sleeping peacefully, and then finally lost her battle and fell into a deep slumber.

JJ woke up the next morning, better rested than she had been for a long time. She wanted to get up, but stopped when she felt an arm around her waist. She started to freak out a little bit, since she was supposed to be in bed alone, but she relaxed when she turned around and saw Emily's face. She wondered why Emily would be in bed with her, until she remembered her nightmares, and the sudden feeling of safety she had felt, like nothing could ever happen to her. She figured that was Emily's doing, and she felt a wave of gratitude and love go through her, because Emily, undoubtedly still hurting from the previous day, had given up her own bed to make sure JJ slept peacefully.

JJ tried to get out of the bed without waking Emily, but realized she had failed when she felt Emily stir next to her.

"Too early. Sleep" Emily grumbled before falling asleep again.

JJ couldn't help but chuckle; Emily clearly wasn't a morning person. She reveled at the thought of seeing Emily without her guards up. She tried to get out of the bed again, but really failed at not waking up Emily this time. Emily was struggling to wake up, and only after a few moments did she manage to open her eyes without them falling shut again.

Emily looked up at her, and when JJ looked her in the eyes, she immediately saw the walls going back up again. It saddened JJ, but she was glad she had at least gotten the experience of seeing an unguarded Emily, even if it wasn't for long.

"Good morning," Emily said with a smile.

"Good morning," JJ replied.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Better than I have for weeks, actually. Thank you, really, for staying with me."

"No problem. Do you want to talk about it? Tell me what it was about?" Emily asked worriedly.

"No, not really."

"Okay, you don't have to. Just know that I'm here, whenever you need me, okay?" Emily offered. She got up and went for the door, but was stopped by JJ's voice.

"Dogs," JJ said.

Emily turned around with a confused look on her face.

"My nightmare. It was about dogs. From the Hankel case," JJ clarified.

Now Emily understood, although she was a bit shocked that those dogs still haunted JJ after all this time.

"JJ, that was more than a year ago. Why didn't you tell me it still bothered you that much, I would've helped you."

"I know you would. But it's not really the dogs that are the problem, anyway."

"It's not?" Now Emily was really confused.

"No. It's being alone. I was alone in that barn for what felt like hours, but eventually, you guys came. Now, at nights, no one comes. I see those dogs jumping at me, and I can't pull my gun fast enough, and I'm all alone."

Tears were running down her cheeks now. Emily wanted to say something, but she knew she should let JJ talk, get things of her chest.

"This job, what we do… It's dangerous. Anything can happen, but that never scares me. I know you guys will be there to back me up. But outside of the job, I'm alone. And it terrifies me, being alone, especially now that I'm pregnant. I have someone else to care for now, and I'm so scared I won't be able to do it."

JJ was sobbing now, so Emily quickly rushed over to her and threw her arms around her, letting the blonde get everything out. When her sobs finally subsided, JJ pulled back, looking gratefully into Emily's eyes.

"I think that was one of the reasons I was with Will. The thought of being with someone I didn't have feelings for didn't scare me as much as the thought of being alone."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore. I am personally going to make sure that you won't be alone again. 'Till the point where you'll wish for some peace and quiet," Emily said with a grin, hoping it would cheer up the younger woman. It worked. JJ smiled, a bit tentative at first, but soon evolving into a full-blown grin.

"See, there's that beautiful smile again. Now why don't you go and take a shower while I make us some breakfast?" Emily suggested.

Thirty minutes later they were eating breakfast. JJ was throwing a glance at Emily every few moments, wondering why the older woman had suddenly become so silent. She figured it had something to do with the previous day, and her heart clenched at the thought of what might be bothering her friend.

"What's wrong, Emily?" she tried.

"Nothing, just thinking," Emily replied. JJ didn't buy it though.

"Emily, did something happen yesterday? With Cyrus?"

"What do you mean?" Emily really didn't know where JJ was going with this.

"Well, he was being questioned for sexual assault, and we heard him beat you up, but then they took you away and we didn't hear anything and ..."

She didn't know how to finish her sentence. She had no problems with it during the job, but when it was possibly involving her friend, she just couldn't. Thankfully, Emily understood.

"No, no, God no, he didn't do anything. They took me upstairs and tied me to a bed, but they didn't do anything."

JJ let out a sigh of relief.

"I guess it's just starting to sink in how easily it could have been worse. And not only yesterday, but every time we go out in the field. Anything can happen, and days like yesterday make me realize that."

JJ understood. She felt that way too, sometimes. Both women sat lost in thought for a while, before Emily started talking again, about a less heavy subject.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8. It's a short one, but I'll try to get the next one up as soon as possible to make up for it.**

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><p>Emily, Morgan and Reid were sitting in the bullpen, looking up to the closed door of JJ's office.<p>

"No way I'm going in there," Morgan said. "Anderson came out nearly crying, and Jennings actually did cry. I'm not doing it."

"Well somebody has to go in there. We need those reports, we can't continue without them," Reid pointed out.

"So you do it," Morgan said. "She likes you, she won't do anything to you."

"Derek Morgan, are you saying you're afraid of a woman half your size?" Emily teased.

"I'm not scared, I'm being cautious," Morgan defended himself. "JJ's seven months pregnant, highly hormonal, and the best shot in the FBI. I'm not taking any chances."

Reid nodded, indicating he too wasn't inclined to enter the office.

"Fine, I'll go," Emily gave in. "But you guys owe me."

The guys just shrugged and looked happy.

Emily knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She took her chances, and opened the door anyway. JJ heard the knock, but she wasn't really in the mood for talking, so she didn't answer. It didn't help, because she heard the door open anyway. She looked up, ready to give the intruder a piece of her mind, but all she saw was a white cleenex.

"You can come in, Emily, I won't hurt you," JJ said smiling when she realised who the arm belonged to.

"I know you won't, I was just being careful. I need the files from last case, so we can finish up."

"Okay, ehm, they should be here somewhere, let me just -. Aha, found it."

Emily just laughed at the blonde agent as she was trying to find the right files on her desk. Normally, JJ's desk was messy, but lately it looked more like a war zone than the office of an FBI agent. And no matter how funny it looked, it worried Emily, because it meant that something was bothering her friend.

"Okay, thank you," she said as she accepted the file. She looked at JJ for a moment, trying to gauge her mood, and then decided to just go for it.

"What's wrong, JJ? I know something's bothering you, and I just wish you'd talk to me. Maybe I can help."

"No you can't," JJ replied. _Please do_, she thought.

Emily didn't understand. She had helped JJ get through her pregnancy so far, why would this be any different? _Is she blushing?_ Emily thought. When it became apparent JJ wasn't going to tell anything, she tried for a different approach.

"JJ, come on, you face a crowd of outraged, pushy reporters on an almost daily basis, and you're afraid to tell _me_ something?

"Yeah, well, I don't have to tell those reporters that I'm horny", JJ muttered under her breath.

"Sorry, what? You're horny?" Emily asked dumbfounded. She didn't expect that.

"Yes, I'm horny! I'm eight months pregnant, and these hormones just make me go crazy. There's no one to help me with it, and I'm too damn big to help myself properly. And cold showers can only do so much. So yeah: I'm fucking horny!"

She hadn't meant to blurt it out like that, she really hadn't. It was way too much information, and she really didn't want to tell. But Emily was looking at her in that way only she could, and she really was frustrated. So when she started talking, it was like the dam burst and there was no stopping it. She regretted it almost instantly though, especially because it seemed to have made Emily extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh, ehm… Okay, so I'll just… Ehm… Bye," Emily very eloquently managed to say before turning around and bolting from the office.

_Oh God_, JJ thought, _could that be any more awkward?_ Apparently, it could. _And thank God for that._

Later that night, Emily showed up at JJ's house. As soon as she opened the door, Emily started talking.

"JJ, how's your pregnancy going?" she asked.

"Ehm, fine, I guess," JJ replied, thoroughly confused. What kind of question was that, after the conversation they had that day?

"So no risk of early labour or something?" Emily asked further.

"No, everything's fine. You know that, you were there when the doctor told me."

"Oh, right. So I've been researching, about what you said earlier today. And I was thinking, maybe I _can_ help. If everything's fine with the pregnancy, this can't cause any problems. So, ehm, here," and with that, she handed JJ a brown paper bag.

"And I'll see you tomorrow."

And then Emily left without further explanation, leaving a very confused JJ standing in the doorway. She went back inside, curious about what was in the bag. She opened it, and her eyes went wide with realization when she saw what was in it. _Oh my God, she bought me a vibrator!_ was the first thing she thought. The second was: _Why didn't I think of that?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9, in which they finally move forward. I know it's a bit short again, but I promise the next one will be a bit longer.**

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><p>The next day, Emily came into the office to find she was the last one there. Reid and Morgan were already sat at their desks, and the door to both Rossi's and Hotch's offices were open, meaning they were inside. The door to JJ's office, however, was uncharacteristically closed. Emily knew she was inside though, because the lights were on.<p>

"Still no progress?" she asked Morgan while pointing in the direction of JJ's office.

"I don't know, she was already in there when I got here," he answered.

"Looks like we're about to find out though," he added when he saw JJ's door open.

"Emily, can you come up here, please?" JJ asked.

Both Reid and Morgan shot her sympathetic looks, obviously under the impression that JJ was still in the foul mood from the day before. Emily ascended the stairs a bit worriedly, hoping she hadn't overstepped any boundaries with her gift.

As soon as Emily was in the room and closed the door, JJ's arms were around her neck.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"I take it you liked your present?" Emily asked laughing. She wrapped her arms around JJ's back, reveling in the feeling.

"Very much so," JJ responded, pulling Emily in a bit tighter.

They stayed like that for a while, both of them enjoying the feeling of having the other woman in her arms. When they pulled back, JJ wanted to give Emily a kiss on the cheek, as an extra 'thank you'. It didn't work out the way she intended, though. Somehow, JJ managed to kiss Emily fully on the lips. When she realized what she was doing, she started freaking so hard she didn't even notice Emily didn't really seem to mind. JJ quickly pulled back, and tried to come up with an excuse.

"Pregnancy hormones?" she offered as an explanation.

She knew it was a stupid one, even she wouldn't believe it. And she could tell Emily didn't believe it either.

"Was it really hormones?" Emily asked.

JJ thought about lying for a minute, but she quickly rejected that idea. She knew it wouldn't do her any good. Emily was a trained FBI profiler, she would see through the lie in an instant. And even if she weren't a profiler, Emily would still know. She knew JJ too well not to know.

"No, it wasn't," JJ hesitantly admitted.

"Good."

And with that, Emily stepped forward to kiss her again. It was a chaste kiss, and after a few seconds, Emily broke off the kiss.

"Don't you have a camera in your office?" she asked worriedly.

"I do, but it doesn't work now. I asked Garcia to turn it off yesterday. I knew I wasn't my enjoyable self, and I didn't want anyone else to see my hormonal rages'" JJ explained.

It was all the reassurance Emily needed. Without hesitation she went in for another kiss. This time, JJ did get the chance to respond and she threw her arms around Emily again. The kiss became much more heated and passionate than the last, and they only broke apart when the need for air became an issue.

"Wow," Emily breathed. "That was…"

"Just wow," JJ finished her sentence. Emily smiled.

"So, does this mean that, if I were to ask you out, you'd say yes?" Emily asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Probably," JJ answered, also smiling.

"Okay, good. JJ, would you like to go out with me next Friday?"

"Oh shit, no, I can't!" JJ said while hitting herself in the forehead.

"Oh, okay," Emily said, feeling a bit rejected.

"I have a meeting with Strauss next Friday. But I'm free on Saturday," JJ added, hoping for a second chance.

"Okay, Saturday it is," Emily said, glad that she finally had a shot with JJ. Then she chuckled.

"You really are unpredictable. I like that about you, keeps things interesting."

"Oh, well, I aim to please," JJ laughed.

"I think I'd better go back now, or Morgan and Reid will think you've killed me."

"Was I really that bad?" JJ asked worriedly.

"Well, to give you an idea: Anderson was thinking about going on sick leave 'till you give birth. But don't worry, I thought it was cute," Emily teased while JJ's eyes widened comically.

With a last peck on JJ's lips, Emily left the office. She went to sit at her desk, where Morgan and Reid were constantly shooting looks at her.

"Everything's fine, guys. She was just a little tired yesterday," Emily said when the looks started to bother her.

"We didn't ask anything," Morgan said.

"Yes, you were not asking very loudly."

"So, she really is okay?" Reid asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes, both of them are fine, and in a much better mood than yesterday. So you don't have to flip a coin anymore to see who has to go in her office. Yes, I saw that," Emily said when both Morgan and Reid looked surprised. They didn't know anyone had noticed that. At least they had the decency to look ashamed.

Emily started her computer, ready to finally start the day. Morgan and Reid also went back to work, but not after one last worried glance in the direction of JJ's office.

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><p><strong>Lots of reviews make the updates come faster, so you know what to do...<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10. I'm going to put this story to an end. I won't have time to guarantee regular updates anymore, and I'd rather have a finished story than one that's stuck at 'on-going'. So there will be only one chapter after this one. I do have some ideas for a sequel, though. If you're interested in that, let me know by reviewing, and I'll be working on one when I have the time. **

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><p>They should have known that planning a date almost a week ahead was stupid, considering their jobs. A case had come up and they had to fly out. On Saturday night, the case was closed and they were having dinner with the entire team instead of just the two of them. But they were in Vegas, so Emily decided to try and make the most of it. She called room service to bring up what she needed, and then she started to set up her room so they could still have that date, if JJ was up for it.<p>

When everything in her room was ready, she went over to JJ's room. She knocked on the door and waited for it to open, hoping that JJ wasn't feeling too tired. A few seconds later the door opened.

"Hi, can I come in?" she asked JJ.

"Yeah, sure, come in."

"Thanks."

Emily stepped inside and looked at JJ. She had changed out of her work clothes into something more comfortable, and she had that glow around her that only a pregnant woman can have. She looked absolutely breathtaking. Emily took a moment to admire the blonde, before remembering why she was there.

"We didn't get to go out on that date, and I want to make that up to you. How about we try again? If that's okay with you."

"Try again? As in, now?" JJ asked.

"Yes. But only if you're up for it."

JJ hesitated. Dealing with the parents of the abducted boy had left her emotionally drained, and she really could use some sleep. But on the other hand, she also really wanted to go on that date with Emily. Her desire to be with Emily won.

"Sure, just let me get changed first."

"You don't need to change, just come with me."

"But I look like a mess!" JJ reacted.

"Nonsense, you look beautiful," Emily reassured her.

"And besides, we're staying in, so what you're wearing is just fine."

"We're staying in?" JJ repeated.

"Yes. I figured you wouldn't be feeling like going out, so I've arranged something else for us. Just come with me."

She offered her arm to JJ. JJ, curious as to what Emily had planned, accepted it gladly, and together they walked to Emily's room. Inside, there was a blanket spread out on the floor, and JJ looked relieved when she saw the picnic basket resting on it. Emily saw the flash of relieve on her face.

"You didn't think I was going to proposition you, did you?" she asked.

"No, of course not," JJ answered quickly, but not at all convincing.

"Uhu, right," Emily grinned, amused by the situation. "I'm not a 'sex on the first date' kind of woman, so you'll have to keep your hormones in check," she joked.

"Damn, and here I was hoping I'd get some tonight," JJ returned the banter.

"Remember that for our next date. For now, let's just focus on the food. I know you must be hungry, you haven't eaten much all day, not even in the restaurant earlier."

"Were you watching me?" JJ asked, surprised that Emily knew this.

"Of course I was! You should be eating for two, and you don't even eat enough for one. I'm worried about you. So sit and eat," Emily jokingly ordered.

JJ sat down, and looked inside the basked. She was pleasantly surprised when she saw that Emily had managed to get almost all her pregnancy cravings. It wasn't until she saw all that food that she noticed how hungry she was. She dove into the basket, glad that it was just the two of them in the room.

They shared comfortable small talk while they ate, and when they finished, JJ decided she wanted to learn more about Emily.

"So Emily, tell me about yourself. We've been friends for years, and I hardly know anything about you", she asked.

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

"What do you do in your free time, what are your likes, dislikes, stuff like that."

"It's like 20 questions," Emily smiled. "But okay, let's see. In my downtime I like to do something that doesn't remind me of work. Music, a movie, books, theatre, as long as it isn't work related. I'm not much of a sports person, not even yoga. I do like running. Especially in the rain."

At that last statement, JJ looked at her strangely.

"Yeah, I know, I'm crazy like that," Emily joked. "I also love the beach. I can relax completely when I'm lying on the beach, or walking in the dunes." She paused. "God, I'm beginning to sound like that Rupert Holmes song. Except that I don't like Piña Colada," she added as an afterthought.

"You don't like Piña Colada?" JJ questioned.

"No. Coconut was not meant to be in a drink. It tastes awful!" Emily said firmly. "I'm more of a wine drinker."

"You are? But you didn't order wine today."

"No, I didn't."

"Why not?"

"Because you can't drink, so I won't either," Emily explained.

"That's ridiculous, Emily! You don't have to drink orange juice, just because I do."

"But I like orange juice," Emily said with a little pout.

"Yes, but you're a grown woman having dinner, you can have wine if you want to. Hold on."

JJ stood up, with some help from Emily, and walked over to the phone. Before Emily could stop her, she was calling room service and asking for a bottle of wine. Emily tried to refuse it, but JJ had already hung up the phone.

The rest of the night had been really nice. There was some kissing, some conversation, some more kissing; it was everything they had wanted from their first date. JJ was drinking her orange juice, and Emily was drinking the wine. It was late – or early, depending how you look at it – when JJ was yawning practically non-stop, and Emily offered to walk her back to her room. When they were finally in their respective beds, they fell asleep instantaneously. JJ from exhaustion, and Emily from the effects of the alcohol.

The next morning, Emily woke up with the mother of all headaches. There had to have been something about the wine from the previous night, because she hadn't even drunk that much and she still had a hangover. She dragged herself out of bed, and began to get everything ready to leave.

When she got downstairs she immediately went for the coffee, hoping caffeine would help. It didn't. She walked past Morgan, who was trying out his luck at a slot machine. It only made her headache worse.

"Morgan, can you… Please, can you… My head."

"Oh, my bad, sorry. You know these things are rigged, right?"

With a sigh, Emily let herself drop on the couch.

"Late night?" Rossi asked.

"I hate Vegas."

And at that moment, she really did. Okay, she had had a great date in Vegas, but in that moment all that mattered was that it was the only place where she got a hangover from only a few glasses of wine. And she didn't like it.

"Come on, Prentiss. How can you hate Vegas? This is a grown folks playground."

At that moment, JJ walked in.

"Anyone seen Reid?" she asked.

"I know he stayed with his mom last night," Morgan answered.

"Well he should be here by now, he knows the departure time."

And then she noticed the slot machine.

"This thing still has credit on it."

Before she could push the button, Emily came back to life.

"JJ, I swear to God!"

"What?" JJ asked, looking around. She didn't understand what she had done wrong. Until she saw Rossi making a drinking gesture. She chuckled, apparently Emily was a light weight when it came to alcohol. She'd only had a couple of glasses.

Then Reid came in. He opted to stay behind, and the rest of them left the hotel. They talked about how Reid had been acting strangely, and figured something must be wrong. So Morgan and Rossi also opted to stay behind to help Reid, which made Emily, JJ and Hotch the only ones on the jet.

The women sat down a bit away from Hotch so they could talk. Emily tried to apologize for snapping at JJ, but she just smiled and shook her head.

"That's okay, it wasn't that bad. I think I was a lot worse last week. Just sleep it off, and you'll be as good as new. You have to be; Reid is gonna need us," she said.

"And I want a second date," she whispered after checking Hotch couldn't hear.

Emily smiled and did what she was told: she took a blanket and lay down on the couch. She was asleep within a minute. JJ looked at her, thinking back at their date, and getting her hopes up for the future.

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><p><strong>Please review.<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 - final chapter. If you want me to write a sequel, please LET ME KNOW. If I'm going to put my time into a sequel, I want to know that people will actually be reading it. I already have some ideas for it, so it's up to you to let me know if you want it. Now, enjoy the final chapter.**

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><p>When they landed, they went straight back to Quantico, doing what they could to help Reid. Emily was just finishing a phone call when JJ walked up to her, bringing Jordan Todd with her.<p>

"Emily, you remember Agent Todd?" JJ asked

"Oh, yeah, hi. Welcome back."

"Thanks. I'll be shadowing JJ for the next couple of weeks," Agent Todd answered.

"Big shoes to fill," Emily warned her playfully.

"Well, big ankles at least," JJ said, half joking and half serious. She knew she shouldn't, but like most pregnant women, she felt a bit self-conscious about how her body had changed.

"Oh, come on, you look great," Jordan tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, that's what I keep telling her," Emily said. She looked at JJ, hoping she could finally convey the message.

"Do you have kids too, or…" Jordan asked Emily.

"Uh, no. I don't even think there are any viable donors left," she joked.

"Tell me about it," Jordan laughed.

"Donor for what?" Hotch suddenly asked, not even looking up from his file.

JJ quickly changed the subject by re-introducing Jordan to Hotch, and after that, they went back to work.

A couple of hours later Emily and Hotch were having a break, when suddenly Garcia came bursting through the doors with an arm around JJ for support.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not a doctor, I don't even play one on TV, but I believe young JJ is going into labor," she announced in a typical Garcia fashion.

Emily immediately rushed over to JJ's side, also supporting her.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I"ll get the car," Hotch said, calm as ever.

That was the moment it all started to sink in with JJ, that this was really happening now.

"I need to call my parents;" she said, starting to panic. She was having her baby, and her parents weren't even in the same state.

"From the car, honey, just breathe and walk," Garcia said, trying to calm her. "Breathe and walk."

"Agent Todd, I hope you're ready, because your job starts right now," Emily said to Jordan, who looked a bit lost as she was standing alone in the bullpen.

Emily, Garcia and Hotch were waiting with JJ in her room until she was ready to give birth. JJ was trying to breathe through her contractions, and both Emily and Garcia were wincing with her as each new contraction hit the blonde. They had both given up their hands for JJ to squeeze, and she was squeezing with all that she had.

When a nurse came to bring JJ to the delivery room and asked if the father of the child would be joining them, Emily stood up.

"He won't, but I will."

They hadn't discussed it, the actual birth, but there was no way she would let JJ go through that alone, unless she explicitly asked to be left alone. But JJ looked grateful, so Emily accompanied her to the delivery room. Neither Hotch nor Garcia looked surprised at this; it just made sense.

The delivery was tough, long and painful, but all that was soon forgotten when a beautiful baby boy was placed on JJ's chest.

When the doctor asked for his name, JJ looked at Emily as she answered.

"Henry Prentiss Jareau," she said.

Emily was shocked.

"Re…Really?"

"Really," JJ smiled.

Emily was touched beyond words, and she wasn't even ashamed of the tears that escaped her eyes. She went to update Hotch and Garcia in the waiting room while JJ and Henry were brought back to her hospital room.

"It's a boy!" she exclaimed with a beaming smile. "He's so beautiful. JJ asked me not to tell you his name yet, she wants to tell you herself. I'm going back now, and I think you can come visit in a little while."

And she left again. Garcia and Hotch looked at each other. Garcia was smiling like an idiot, and even Hotch was sporting a rare smile. They sat back in their seats, waiting until they could go visit the newest member of their family.

Back in JJ's room, Emily was still shocked about the boy's name. She looked at JJ, who was lovingly holding little Henry.

"He's so beautiful, JJ," she said, looking lovingly at the boy.

"You really want to name him after me?" she asked.

"Yes, I really do," JJ answered without a moment's hesitation.

"You've done so much for me these past months, I couldn't have done this without you. I want you to be a part of his life, and mine. I want there to be an 'us', but I know I can't ask that from you, it wouldn't be fair. You didn't sign up for a baby, and I can't expect you to raise my son with me. So if I can't have you in person, you'll still be with me, with us through his name," JJ explained sadly.

Emily was listening to JJ with increasing unbelief. She had expected that JJ would dump her, now that she also had her baby to look after. But here she was, saying that she actually wanted her to be a part of her life, but also giving her an easy way out. It was a lot to take in, but it really wasn't a difficult decision.

"I want this too, JJ. I know it may be soon and a bit unusual, but I love you, and I already love this kid more that I thought was possible, and I want to do this with you. If you'll have me."

They looked at each other with so much love in their eyes, there wasn't any doubt about how the future would play out. They were going to do this, together.

"Look at us," Emily suddenly chuckled. "We are such a cliché!"

"What do you mean?" JJ asked confused.

"We've only been on one date, and we're going to raise a kid together. It's the ultimate U-Haul!" Emily exclaimed laughing.

JJ, seeing the humor in their situation, also started laughing. That was how Garcia and Hotch found the two women, when they were allowed to go into JJ's room. Everyone was standing around the bed, and they had already fallen in love with the little boy.

"He looks just like Will," Garcia said, unsure it was the right thing to say, but unable to keep it to herself.

"Let's hope he grows out of that," JJ responded instantly. She wanted the southern detective out of her life as much as possible.

"Just as long as he doesn't inherit the accent," Emily said, trying to keep the conversation light.

That was when Reid decided to come in.

"Is there room for one more in here?" he asked.

"Spence, hi," JJ said, glad to see one of her best friends.

"Welcome back," Hotch said.

"Wow. Congratulations," Reid offered JJ.

"How is it that I just went through fifteen hours of labor, and you look worse than I do?" JJ asked him, a bit worried about her friend.

"Don't be ridiculous; you look beautiful," Reid answered smoothly.

JJ smiled and looked up to Emily. Emily sensed that JJ wanted a moment alone with Reid, so she tried to get everyone out of the room.

"Well, I could really use some coffee. Anyone else? My treat," she offered.

Hotch and Garcia caught on, and they followed Emily outside.

"Are you okay?" JJ asked her friend when they were alone.

"Yeah, yeah, you?"

"Yeah, yeah, you sure? 'Cause there's something I wanted to ask you, but it can wait."

"What is it?"

"I've been thinking, and ehm… I want you to be Henry's godfather."

Reid was surprised, to say the least. It was apparently a common occurrence: tell someone they're going to be an important part in your child's life, and they're rendered speechless.

"I don't even, I don't know…" Reid managed to very eloquently say.

JJ just smiled and handed her son over for Reid to hold.

"Here you go," she said.

"Hi, hello Henry," Reid said in a cooing voice.

"Now if anything should happen to me, it's up to you and Garcia to make sure this boy gets into Yale."

She had told Garcia she wanted her to be the godmother a long time ago. She was her best friend, it was only natural that she wanted her to take care of her son, in case anything should happen to her and Emily. And Spencer was like a brother to her, so he to was a logical choice for the godfather.

All this meant that the most important people of her life, would also be important in her son's life. Garcia as his godmother, Spence as his godfather, and most importantly, Emily as his second mother. How it was supposed to be. Life couldn't get any better.

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><p><strong>Thanks for all your wonderful reviews, alerts and favorites! It's nice to know your work is appreciated. Keep them coming.<strong>


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